Pattaya's golden times are over: Bar and salon owner packing up as uncertain future looms

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, rumak said:

Why do you think they are the

bad guys here ?   if that is what you are suggesting

They are bad guys. Soon as one place succeeds the rest pile in and ruin the profit. How many malls does Pattaya need? How many bar beers? It's always the suckers that rent the shops/ bars that suffer when too many places competing for a limited number of tourists. The owners still get the rent even if the business goes broke and when they leave another sucker will be along shortly.

Don't expect any sympathy from me if the owners go broke if too many shops close and no more suckers to take over.

Edited April 30, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[HashBrownHarry]

1 hour ago, petedk said:

I'm glad you agree with me. I was called a "bar stool financial expert" for saying the same.

 

One of our friends in Bangkok owns quite a large restaurant and a music school for kids. The clients are all wealthy Thai people and the prices of the food and tuition are based on that. I have no idea how much they earn, but she is complaining bitterly now that they have been closed for a month. 

 

Don't these people save for a rainy day?

In my experience the answer is NO, none of them would ever consider saving money, they just simply don't do it.

 

Majority of thais also have a hard time budgeting or any sort of control with money.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, edwardflory said:

I spent the night in Pattaya about 7 months ago.  I lived in Pattaya for 3 years - 3 years ago.

 

Visited WS on a Friday 21:00 and saw:

Tourist Police Van...2 Regular TP officers, 1 FTPA and 1 trainee FTPA ( Foreign TP Assistants ), 2 Thai TP Volunteers.......

3 years ago:

3 to 5 regular officers, 4 to 6 FTPA maybe a trainee, 10 to 12 Thai Volunteers.

 

BIG CHANGE!!

Sooooo, the farang wannabe cops don't get to strut around in their black uniforms on Walking Street anymore, Boohoo for them.

Anyway, if everything is closed why are any cops on W S?

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

In my experience the answer is NO, none of them would ever consider saving money, they just simply don't do it.

 

Majority of thais also have a hard time budgeting or any sort of control with money.

More likely any excess money would go on face improvement, like some more gold, a new vehicle, and some to improve the family's lot back home. 

Seems to me closing up shop and moving on is a wise move, rather then remaining, bleeding out with little upturn likely in the future. 

Edited April 30, 2020 by jacko45k

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

A woman serves beer at a restaurant after the government eased nationwide lock down during the corona virus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hanoi , Vietnam April 29, 2020. REUTERS

They appear to have the right, IMO, attitude to mask wearing.

[mikebell]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

This was more than enough to cover the 100,000 baht monthly rent and salaries for around ten employees. 

+ Police protection money which EVERY business in Pattaya is forced to pay to ensure the correct 'licences' are in place.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

A gamble or two, would empty the til, good news I hear for some is girl's are cheap at present just a nod and a wink away, and available as takeaways are allowed 

I thought all the bars were closed, so no takeaways.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

12 hours ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Maybe locals will understand how foreigners living here are precious ❤️

Maybe a good lesson for all the idiots only relying on tourists and especially chinese or russian.

 

 

Not been in LOS long then? Farangs are only ATMs to be taken advantage of, and that ain't gonna change, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, Susco said:

Most of the restrictions issued were also actually a panic reaction, and can be removed as quickly as they were put in place.

The restrictions can be removed, but economies are ruined and are like Humpty Dumpty. It's going to take a good while for things to get back to "normal" and then the next super virus may be along.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, tomauasia said:

Probably descent girls.

LOL, In THAT place??? Ever been in it? It was a dump.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, amdy2206 said:

The golden times have been over for a long time. Compared to 10 years ago, Pattaya is, and has, nothing.

and all done by city hall. Monstrocity at Bali Hi, stupid car park at Bali Hi, decrepit marina, wrecked walkway to the lighthouse, horrid beach walkway, eroding beach, floods, no water. I fail to see how they could have done more to wreck the place.

[chrisandsu]

59 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Sounds like BS to me. Maybe when the US navy was in town, but in low season, no way, IMO.

That collection of bar beers were the dodgiest in town, IMO and didn't get any more mongers than the other bar beers on better places like Soi 8.

 

IMO more likely her business was already failing and the shutdown was the last straw. Times have not been good for years due to city hall incompetence.

Like all of us the more we earn the more our outgoings become, we never think a Rainey day will come - when it does and we get caught short that’s when we earn our stripes of wisdom . 

[a977]

22 hours ago, Titan1962 said:

Not a bad little profit 1,300,000 a month less operating expenses.

say 1 million a month profit after expenses. 12 million a year x 4 years + 48 million baht. She should have enough to see her out.

All Thais have a tendency to spend money before making money and then after as well, hence no money for the honey 

[pattayadude]

59 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and all done by city hall. Monstrocity at Bali Hi, stupid car park at Bali Hi, decrepit marina, wrecked walkway to the lighthouse, horrid beach walkway, eroding beach, floods, no water. I fail to see how they could have done more to wreck the place.

you forgot the red carpet treatment to chinos and indianos in your list!

Edited April 30, 2020 by pattayadude

[shackleton]

I remember a lot of years back being introduced to a bar owner Farang who was in with a friend 50% each

Plus he was selling his share of the business would I be interested as he wanted to return to his country of origin 

Thought to myself at the time if it was a good investment why is his partner not buying him out

Anyway mentioned to him I prefer to be on the side buying and drinking the beer

 

[chrisandsu]

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

I remember a lot of years back being introduced to a bar owner Farang who was in with a friend 50% each

Plus he was selling his share of the business would I be interested as he wanted to return to his country of origin 

Thought to myself at the time if it was a good investment why is his partner not buying him out

Anyway mentioned to him I prefer to be on the side buying and drinking the beer

 

The best one was always the grand tour of being a bar owner to all the greens dreaming of living in patts banging hookers for the rest of their lives . The bar owner  would show how popular they were while going bar hopping and then hit the mark with an investment opportunity... I know so many people who ‘invested’ a million baht into the same rinky dinky bar it was laughable .  Not one of them get a penny back while  the bar owner now has an investment in what was a very busy club on walking street . Basically scammed all his mates to live his dream including one that ended up committing suicide when his money ran out . Absolute scum bag 

[rumak]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They are bad guys. Soon as one place succeeds the rest pile in and ruin the profit. How many malls does Pattaya need? How many bar beers? It's always the suckers that rent the shops/ bars that suffer when too many places competing for a limited number of tourists. The owners still get the rent even if the business goes broke and when they leave another sucker will be along shortly.

Don't expect any sympathy from me if the owners go broke if too many shops close and no more suckers to take over.

I think that most people on TV  are  residential renters ( condos, apt, houses)  .  I was really asking my question in defense of those properties/owners.    Like with most things,   the law of supply and demand works pretty well to keep prices in line.  

I did exclude the "rich guys or conglomerates"  that are mostly the ones who own the COMMERCIAL properties where they will raise rates whenever they can,  with little or no regard to the small business

owners.   

I was screwed long ago with a commercial lease...  so i have been on that side.   Now we have some residential rentals,  which are very fairly priced with

no increases for years.   

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by rumak

[Leaver]

17 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

Money talk and bs walk! Thats the law in planet! And i really want get 700 bth extra whit my 100€!

The tourist have to have the money first, before they can get to Thailand to spend it.  Then, you have the other issues I commented on, like closed boarders, planes flying, quarantine, and travel insurance.  

[Leaver]

16 hours ago, couchpotato said:

Maybe they will team up with Mr Baku. (hypothetically of course!).

Who knows what Pattaya will look like 18 months from now, but for sure there will be a lot of closed doors, and For Sale and For Rest signs, across the city.

[Cricky]

Lots of Doom and Gloom stories. 

 

Cheer up you guys. 

One thing for sure is the same stuff will happen world wide, we're not on our own. 

[Lipoman]

After Pattaya, and Thailand in general, returns to pre-Coronavirus normalcy, I sincerely hope you Doomsayers will not be in the bars when I return to Pattaya.  

 

I'm still working, saving money for my return trip to Pattaya.  I am looking forward to seeing my friends and acquaintances at the beer bars near Second Road, the bars on Soi 6 and in the WS agogos.  

 

That day of normalcy will come...just not as soon as people want to believe...but it will arrive and I'm looking forward to Ringing the Bell many times!  ????

[Cricky]

4 hours ago, Lipoman said:

After Pattaya, and Thailand in general, returns to pre-Coronavirus normalcy, I sincerely hope you Doomsayers will not be in the bars when I return to Pattaya.  

 

I'm still working, saving money for my return trip to Pattaya.  I am looking forward to seeing my friends and acquaintances at the beer bars near Second Road, the bars on Soi 6 and in the WS agogos.  

 

That day of normalcy will come...just not as soon as people want to believe...but it will arrive and I'm looking forward to Ringing the Bell many times!  ????

Bring it ON

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, VYCM said:

Lots of Doom and Gloom stories. 

 

Cheer up you guys. 

One thing for sure is the same stuff will happen world wide, we're not on our own. 

I think most of us will be miserable once we get let out and try to get a job, if we weren't in one that carried on through lockdown.

However, this too will pass. If we think we are doing it hard, just think of the Black Death in the middle ages. Some estimate a third of the population died.

[Rimmer]

Off topic and reply removed

[Leaver]

21 hours ago, Lipoman said:

That day of normalcy will come.

When do you think that will be?  There are a lot of variables.  

[3NUMBAS]

businesses can never reach critical mass to keep trading with just a trickle of tourists with a miserable income from month to month .they had poor  income before

 

but there is always shady characters with hot money they want to launder

Edited May 1, 2020 by 3NUMBAS

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

businesses can never reach critical mass to keep trading with just a trickle of tourists with a miserable income from month to month .they had poor  income before

 

but there is always shady characters with hot money they want to launder

Or those that need to make hot money, in order to keep living the dream.  Many of them start selling drugs out of the bar.   

[3NUMBAS]

the airline CEOs are not expecting folks to get on planes for years and years and they are slashing staff..the airlines are also expecting to default on new planes on order from airbus and boeing .easyjet has a 100+ new planes to pay for and no income to pay billions of pounds so will default on orders

[chrisandsu]

Just had a flight cancel on me from the USA to Britain for mid June with British airways . That’s telling me this is not ending anytime soon . 

[aussienam]

I recall meeting one of Pattaya's wealthy expats who owns a gogo bar (plus property company and other investments) in Walking Street area.  He boasted easy 50,000 Baht per night profit alone, and he had maybe 20 or more girls to pay nightly.  So wondering if lady in article could be making that much before profit?